Initial discovery of microplastic pollution in Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora: Lobata)

The production of plastics has exponentially increased over time such that the observation of microplastics in the oceans has become a major concern given how frequently these particles and marine biota may interact. Microplastics can be ingested by diverse species, including invertebrates, which ca...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Yapuchura Ocaris, Enrique Ronald, Paz Otegui, Mariana Beatriz, Carvalho Zamprogno, Gabriela, Barcellos da Costa, Mercia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Perú
Institución:Universidad Tecnológica del Perú
Repositorio:UTP-Institucional
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.utp.edu.pe:20.500.12867/6685
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12867/6685
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2023.100140
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Sea invertebrates
Marine contamination
Microplastics
https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#1.06.12
Descripción
Sumario:The production of plastics has exponentially increased over time such that the observation of microplastics in the oceans has become a major concern given how frequently these particles and marine biota may interact. Microplastics can be ingested by diverse species, including invertebrates, which can lead to physical damage due to their small size and potentially chemical damage related to the ingestion of monomers, polymeric additives, or adsorbed chemicals. This study reports on the first evidence of microplastics in Mnemiopsis leidyi. Microplastics were described by type, quantified, and had their chemical composition identified. In total, 328 samples of microplastic (MP) candidates were observed: blue fibers were the most abundant, followed by black, red, and green fibers as well as blue fragments. Three types of microplastics were chemically identified as polyurethane, unplasticized polyvinylchloride, and polyethylene polylauryllactam. Overall, this study demonstrated that Mnemiopsis leidyi have the capacity to incorporate microplastics. Although more studies are needed, Mnemiopsis leidyi is relatively abundant on the Atlantic coast and should be recommended for use as a bioindicator for microplastics.